Shooter, Liars Sentenced in Boxley Gun Battle

Four people pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges stemming from a shoot-out last summer on Boxley Avenue.

Legal Lingo

Plea Bargain

A negotiated agreement between a criminal defendant and a prosecutor in which the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to some crimes, in return for reduction of the severity of the charges or dismissal of some charges. Plea bargaining helps save the time and expense of trials by allowing the prosecutor to obtain guilty pleas in cases that might otherwise go to trial. The judge must approve the plea bargain before accepting the plea.

No, Judge Story, we have a CRIMINAL problem in this country, not a firearms problem. Does one blame automobiles as the cause of high fatality and injury rates on our highways? No, it's not the car, it's the bad driver, just as it is not the gun, it's the criminal with the gun.

I would seys not everyone can afford a gun but just about everyone can buy a car. Plus, with a gun you have to get training, pass a test then have a license to operate the gun. With a car anyone can just get one and do with it what they want. Even little kids.

There's few rules on cars, no traffic laws, no traffic control measures. But with guns you have lots of rules about them and they're controlled with titles, insurance requirement. They require being unlocked before you can use them.

Cars don't haven no protections like that. Just pick one up a drive away and git in accidents. Criminals love the car because they're so easy to git and hide until you won't to hert somebody.